While global leaders convened in Glasgow to achieve a low-carbon future, we can reflect on a very different picture in current energy markets.
What happened to energy prices during COP26?
Durabilité
What COP26 means for clean energy
The World has changed (a lot) in six years
The COP is usually presented as a major catalyst for the Clean Energy sector. After Glasgow, we believe it is fair to ask whether this is still the case.Plus…
L’infrastructure européenne sera verte
Cet article est initialement paru en septembre 2021 dans le numéro « Spécial Institutionnels » du magazine financier SPHERE.
Après d’âpres négociations, les 27 pays membres de l’UE et le Parlement européen ont accepté en avril d’inscrire l’objectif de neutralité carbone d’ici 2050 dans une « loi climat ». Et ce « Green New Deal » est bien plus qu’un vœu pieux, car il ne se contente pas de fixer des objectifs ambitieux. Il prévoit surtout des investissements massifs, notamment dans l’infrastructure. Alors pour en tirer le meilleur parti, les grands gagnants se trouvent peut-être du côté des investissements directs dans les projets d’infrastructure.
Le scénario « Net Zéro » de l’AIE
Quelques mois avant la Conférence des Nations Unies sur le changement climatique (COP26), l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE) a publié sa feuille de route mondiale pour limiter le réchauffement de la planète à 1.5°C et atteindre des émissions nettes de dioxyde de carbone nulles d’ici 2050 et les mesures recommandées sont drastiques.
Net zero emission targets and the carbon offset market
December 2020 was the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate accord, marked by a climate summit held in the UK with 70 world leaders. In advance of this milestone, the UK threw down the gauntlet to other countries by elevating their emissions reduction target to 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, 11% higher than the previous target. These targets are considered the second toughest in the world, following only those of Sweden.
How to avoid a climate disaster
Bill Gates recently published his new book, a green manifesto called ‘How to Avoid a Climate Disaster’. We’re still reading our copy but we believe a core element to this manifesto is noteworthy – addressing the price differential between a fossil-fuel-based way of doing something and the clean, non-emitting way of doing the same thing – what Mr Gates calls the Green Premium.
Asian economics catch up on climate change
This week South Korea became the third large Asian economy to pledge carbon neutrality, marking a major milestone for the fight against climate change. All three countries, China, Japan and South Korea, are in the top 10 country emitters of carbon dioxide in the world due to a continued reliance on coal-powered energy, and together represent over a third of annual global emissions.
California wildfires and renewable shift
California seems to be in the eye of the storm at the moment when it comes to the impacts of climate change. Images of yellow smoke-filled skies are proliferating news sources and social media, the result of wildfires that are seasonal for the state due to hot and dry weather, but that this year have burned through over 5 million acres already, worse than any year in the history books. The season for wildfires usually continues until December and may continue to force people to stay at home due to the air quality, further impacting businesses already reeling from the restrictions imposed by COVID-19.
Carbon intensity in Japan
We have written about renewable energy and the energy transition in Europe, the US and China. Today we look at Japan, where multiple factors collude to result in government policies that support a slower transition towards green energy, a source of frustration for many and garnering criticism.
American politics and the green economy
The polarisation of American politics is a subject well covered with the Biden vs. Trump campaigns heating up as we close down on the three-month point before the election. Every nationwide poll currently has Biden leading by between 6 and 15 points, but there is plenty of time for this to change and polls are often wrong.